3S3 



l)eak, on wliicli the skin of the head and neck shrinks 

 to aboLit a tenth of its natural size. A little peg of 

 wood is pushed through the nostrils, by whicli the skin 

 is hung lip to dry , and a string tied roiind the wings 

 to keep thcni in their place. In damp weather the 

 skin about the base of the beak often breaks, and is 

 then mended with pitch ! and the sraoky atmosphere 

 of the native houses, in which half-a-dozen families 

 have their cooking-fire in daily action^ soils and dar- 

 kens the whole plumage, especially the pale yellow 

 head and the delicate dovvny portion of the long plu- 

 nies. When dry, they are preserved wrapped in palm- 

 leaves, which, however, seldom cover the extreme ends 

 of the feathers, which thus become still more rubbed 

 and dirtied. Some \ears as^o, two dollars each "were 

 paid for these skins, but they have gradually fallen 

 in value, till now there is scarcely any trade in them. 

 1 purchased a few in Dobbo at Gd. each. 



Of the geographical distribution of the Bird of Pa- 

 radise many erroneous statements have been published. 

 lts supposed migrations have by some been extended 

 to Ijanda, by others to Ceram and all the eastern is- 

 lands of the Molucca group. These statements are, 

 however, totally without foundation, the species being 

 strictly confined to New Guinea and the Aru Islands, 

 and even to a limited portion of each of those coun- 

 tries. Aru consists of a very large central island, and 

 some hundreds of smaller ones scattered around it at 

 various distances, many being of large size and cove- 

 red with dense and lofty forests; yet on not one of 

 these is the Paradisea ever found (althongh many of 

 them are nuvh nearer New Guinea), beiiig limited to 



